Success in life is hard to find if you scatter your forces and try to do a dozen things at the same time.

The people who complain the loudest about never having an opportunity in life are usually the ones who always have a ready excuse for their failures. Nothing is ever their fault; they are victims of their heritage, their environment, insufficient education, or any number of other factors that they perceive as placing them at a disadvantage.

If you look hard enough, you can always find reasons for not attempting something or not sticking with the job to the end. Successful people, though, are not excuse-makers. They take responsibility for their actions, they set goals, and they assume responsibility for their achievement. Where others see despair, they see hope. They approach every situation with enthusiasm, confident in the knowledge that nothing is impossible for those who have a Positive Mental Attitude. They concentrate their focus of energy on the outcome they desire and enjoy the ride.

Even the most popular people have their detractors. Because we are all different, with differing interests and personalities, it is simply impossible for anyone to be beloved by every individual who knows him or her.

If your mission in life is to make everyone like you, great disappointment is in store. But if you are always kind and considerate in your dealings with others, they may not like you, but it will be impossible for them to dislike you. You can cement your relationships with others by making sure that you are a person of character, one who is predictably honest, straightforward, and ethical. When you follow such a code of conduct, you may not be sought out by others who do not share your value, but you will be respected by all who know you. And in the end, self-respect will mean far more to you than mere popularity.

You cannot make all people like you, but you can rob them of a sound reason for disliking you.